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Ravenhall is marking 17 years in business in 2023, which is a significant milestone for any business. The success of Ravenhall has been largely connected to the local community, the team, and the ambitions of the people within the business. Ravenhall has offices in Leeds, Belfast and Luton, and is showing no signs of slowing. With a recent acquisition, further growth is also on the cards. Within this article, we’ll look back through some highlights and things we’ve achieved.
Ravenhall Risk Solutions was incorporated in September 2006, by Neil Grimshaw FCII. After gaining a degree in Business Studies at The University of Huddersfield, Neil gained experience through roles within insurance broker practices around Yorkshire. Just 3 years later, Neil felt confident and competent enough to set up his own firm. Neil says “I knew that I had ambitions to make something for myself, and running a business was something that had always interested me. I felt that the time was right, and I took the leap.”
However, Neil didn’t do this alone, and he sought support from James Daly ACII. Together, they started to pull together resources, a team and a location to start Ravenhall Risk Solutions. Neil and James strived for a higher level of professionalism to allow themselves to be the best that they could be and further understand how they could help clients to safeguard their important assets. Despite there being no need to be qualified in the insurance broking industry, Neil and James have always held professional qualifications up as the pinnacle for insurance broking skill and professionalism. Both have become chartered insurance brokers with Higher level standard qualifications, in order to lead by example.
As Ravenhall started to grow, the firm received some great feedback and praise from those they had supported. Some of which include:
“Neil knows his business well. He is technically competent and knows the correct products to pursue to meet his client’s needs. He provides excellent client care and is always willing to put himself out to ensure his clients are informed and advised in a timely manner. I would have no hesitation in recommending Neil’s services.” – Jason Bannister, Finn Gledhill
“The team at Ravenhall have supported our business’s insurance needs for a number of years and we would not go anywhere else. The team take the time to understand our business and our unique requirements and provide a policy which is fully comprehensive. The team are always just a click or a call away if we need any support.” – Rebecca Hopwood, Youbee Media
“We’d like to thank Aaron for talking through our latest insurance renewal. Hey, we’re from Yorkshire and we’re looking for a great deal! Aaron talked us through the details with patience, humour, anecdotes, and obvious experience! We now feel totally comfortable that we have got the best value cover and more importantly the confidence our policy truly reflects our needs!” – Ken Pearce,
Ravenhall has been shortlisted 4 times for awards with the Insurance Times and won twice. Neil has also been awarded several accolades and awards, including Young Broker of the Year, Brokers Broker of the Year and New Achiever of the Year. Most recently Ravenhall were shortlisted for the Insurance Broker of the Year award in 2020 at the British Insurance awards.
In 2010, Ravenhall Group joined the Chartered Insurance Institute, and gained their title of a Chartered Independent Insurance Broker. The Chartered status is a commitment to an ethos and a set of standards which outline how the business will engage with those around them.
Director, Neil Grimshaw says “When Chartered Status was launched by the CII we knew that achieving this status was our goal, we managed to do this within a year of its Launch and have maintained these standards for over a decade. As a team, we strive for excellence, build partnerships with our clients, and commit to go above and beyond. The team lives by these values, and Chartered Status advertises this to our customers and partners”.
After joining British Insurance Brokers Association (BIBA) in 2012 as a Member of the General Insurance Brokers Committee, Neil became the Chair of the Yorkshire and Northern Region in 2022. BIBA is the UK’s leading general insurance intermediatory organisation representing the interests of insurance brokers, intermediaries and customers. BIBA is the voice of the sector advising members, Government, regulators, consumer bodies and other stakeholders on key insurance issues.
Ravenhall Group are proud to have strong relationship with the communities that surround each of the locations. As members of several BNI chapters in Yorkshire, Ravenhall have developed partnerships with Huddersfield Rugby Union Football Club, are Friends of Huddersfield Giants Community Trust and have supported the Huddersfield Literature Festival for over 4 years. Ravenhall is also members of the Daniel Lloyd Members Club.
Over the last 17 years, some of the organisations Ravenhall have been able to support include:
Ravenhall Group was acquired by Jensten Group late 2022 and marked the beginning of a number of changes for the group. Neil Grimshaw was appointed Regional MD for Jensten Group in Yorkshire and the North East.
Alistair Hardie, Jensten Group CEO commented: “We are delighted to welcome Ravenhall to the Jensten family. Neil and the team share our core values and culture, providing an exceptional broking service and putting clients first – making them an ideal fit for the Jensten Group.”
As part of a larger group of businesses, Ravenhall’s proposition is stronger than ever before. Ravenhall have access to new technology, better rates from insurers and new products which will benefit the business. In 2023, Ravenhall started to promote their ability to offer bespoke insurance policies to private clients.
So, what is next? As always, Ravenhall look forward to continued growth and development. As a key brand within the Jensten group, we look forward to leveraging the resource of a much larger business whilst maintaining the local and personal levels of service that we have always held close. These values have been the cornerstone of Ravenhall’s success over the last 17 years and we will carry these with us into the future.
Investing in our team, our products and ultimately in the service our clients receive, the Ravenhall Brand will continue to grow and flourish into 2024 and beyond. We are grateful to the loyalty and continued support of our clients, and we look forward to ensuring that the products and service we provide continue to develop and add value to business and individuals large and small who give Ravenhall the privilege of protecting and safeguarding what matters most.
